senators reid and mcconnell are working on such an agreement as we speak. but, if an agreement isn't reached in time between senator reid and senator mcconnell, then i will urge senator reid to bring to the floor a basic package for an up-or-down vote, one that protects the middle class from an income tax hike, extends the vital lifeline of unemployment insurance to 2 million americans looking for a job, and lays the groundwork for future cooperation of more economic growth and deficit reduction. guys, i can hear you over here. i believe such proposal could pass both houses with bipartisan majorities, as long as those leaders allow it to actually come to a vote. if members of the house or the senate want to vote no, they can. but we should let everybody vote. that is the way this is supposed to work. if can you get a majority in the house, then can you get a majority in the senate, then we should be able to pass a bill. so the american people are watching what we do here. obviously their patience is already thin. this is deja vu all over again. america wond